Dylan Fundator
Incorporating Electronic Health Records (EHRs) into student nursing programs is a vital consideration for educators. By embracing EHRs within the curriculum, educators can provide students with invaluable real-world experience, equipping them with essential skills for their future careers in healthcare. Discover the benefits of ChartFlow in nursing education, unlocking new opportunities for student growth and development.
The Benefits of Utilizing an EHR with Nursing Students
Ever since the NCSBN’s landmark study back in 2010, the use of simulation has exploded in nursing schools across the world. Recently, many states have begun passing legislation allowing clinical hours to be substituted by simulation. As an attempt to address the nursing shortage, New York State has recently allowed students to complete up to 33% of their clinical training with simulation.
With improvements in patient manikins, simulators, Virtual Reality (VR), and other technology, nursing programs of all levels have been able to incorporate simulation throughout their curriculum to help prepare their students for clinical practice. Unlike manikins or VR, one of the main technologies students will continue using beyond graduation is the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
A number of studies have been done over the years that find at least 33% of a nurse’s day is spent on technology, such as the EHR. While overlooked in the past, nursing programs across the country have implemented academic or educational EHRs into their simulation lab to help prepare students for reviewing a patient’s health record, documenting information, practicing medication administration, patient handoffs, and more. Even just the exposure to the layout, terminology, and flow of EHRs can be helpful to make students feel more comfortable once they are at clinical using their local system.
Outside of nursing, we’ve also seen studies conducted that demonstrate the benefits of using academic EHRs with Medical and Master of Health Administration (MHA) students.
In 2021, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada conducted a study showing the feasibility and suitability of using one of the more popular academic EHRs with their nursing students.
There are a number of educational EHRs that been developed by major publishers, independent businesses, and not-for-profits. Many of these programs can be incorporated not just into simulation, but also for student’s clinical assignments, case study review, lectures, skills lab, and more.
Even with many of the systems already available, our team found that there was a need for an academic EHR that was easy to use, modern, and most importantly—affordable. That’s why we spent over a year designing & developing ChartFlow.
Please read below to learn more about our EHR and how it can be used within an undergraduate nursing program curriculum.
Enhance Your Nursing Student’s Education with ChartFlow’s EHR
ChartFlow, a new educational EHR platform, offers a range of features specifically designed to enhance the learning experience and prepare nursing students for real-world clinical practice.
Streamlining Documentation and Charting
ChartFlow’s EHR provide an intuitive and user-friendly interface that simplifies the documentation and charting process for nursing students. With the ability to seamlessly record patient information, log vital signs, and create progress notes, students can develop essential skills in accurate and efficient documentation.
Medication Administration Practice with Barcode Scanning
One of the most popular features found in ChartFlow is the ability to practice medication administration using barcode scanning.
With ChartFlow, patient wristbands and medication barcodes are generated automatically. We also allow programs the ability to customize our MAR by incorporating their own barcodes into our system.
Using any USB or bluetooth scanner, students can practice scanning the patient’s wristband and then scanning each medication to document directly on our MAR. For programs without access to barcode scanners, we have a built-in feature that turns your phone, tablet or laptop’s camera directly into a scanner.
Realistic Patient Encounters for Immersive Learning
ChartFlow’s EHR offer realistic patient encounter simulations, allowing nursing students to engage in immersive learning experiences. Through interactive case scenarios, students can apply their theoretical knowledge, practice critical thinking, and make informed decisions in a controlled environment. With ChartFlow's comprehensive library of simulated patient cases, educators can create engaging and dynamic learning opportunities that bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Facilitating Interprofessional Education (IPE)
ChartFlow’s EHR is well-suited for interprofessional education, fostering collaboration among nursing students and other healthcare disciplines. With the ability to integrate data from various disciplines, such as pharmacy or physical therapy, students can gain valuable insights into the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare professionals. This inter-professional approach promotes teamwork, communication, and a holistic understanding of patient care, ultimately preparing students for successful collaboration in their future careers.
The Benefits of ChartFlow’s EHR for Nursing Students
By incorporating ChartFlow’s EHR into student nursing programs, educators can unlock a range of benefits that positively impact the learning outcomes of their students. These benefits include:
- Enhanced documentation skills through intuitive charting features
- Safely practice medication administration with barcode scanning
- Interprofessional education opportunities for collaborative practice
- Seamless integration of electronic charting practices and clinical workflow
- Streamlined clinical assignments and skills development
- Case Study Review for both homework assignments and during lectures
With ChartFlow’s EHR, nursing educators can create a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for the challenges and complexities of modern healthcare delivery.
In conclusion, the integration of ChartFlow’s EHR in student nursing programs offers immense potential for transforming nursing education. By leveraging the power of technology and simulation, educators can provide students with valuable hands-on experience, foster critical thinking skills, and instill confidence in their abilities. As nursing continues to evolve, it is essential for educators to embrace innovative solutions like ChartFlow’s EHR to ensure the next generation of nurses is well-prepared for the demands of the profession.
If you’re interested in trying ChartFlow, please visit our website ChartFlow.io to create a free instructor account.
You can also click the button below if you’d like to contact our team with any questions or to schedule a live demo.